HEALTH REFORM
Toolkit to Promote Psychosomatic Medicine

Health reform efforts in the United States have emphasized the importance of the “Triple Aim” including improving access to and quality of care, improving patient outcomes, and saving costs.

Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine members have a unique opportunity in partnering with efforts in local communities to help implement these aims by enhancing integration of mental health services into health reform efforts such as the Primary Care Medical Home, Accountable Care Organizations,
and preventing rehospitalization in patients with chronic medical illnesses.

Five leaders of the APM have developed executive summaries and slide sets for our members that provide evidence of the importance of including psychosomatic medicine physicians in these health reform efforts. These summaries and slide sets are aimed at primary care system leaders, health insurers, and hospital systems, and employers. APM members can download these materials to use in local health reform efforts.

The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine acknowledges the superb work of James Rundell, MD, FAPM; Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA; Lawson Wulsin, MD, FAPM; Roger Kathol, MD, FAPM; and Wayne Katon, MD, FAPM in developing these materials. The executive summaries and slide presentations are updates to the 2010 presentation to advocate for support of C-L/PM services, “Adding Value to Healthcare through Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry,” available in the Members' Corner.

For Primary Care System Leaders, Health Insurers, and Hospital Systems

Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care:
Competencies and Skills of Psychosomatic Medicine Psychiatrists and the Value of Psychosomatic Medicine